Sheldon Mayer
He began working for National Allied Publications (Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's initial company, later known as DC Comics) shortly after it was founded, in 1935, writing and drawing stories and "thus becoming one of the very first contributors original material to comic books." Between 1936 and 1938, Mayer worked for Dell Comics, producing illustrations, house advertisements and covers for titles including Popular Comics, The Comics and The Funnies. Also in 1936, he joined the McClure Syndicate "as an editor working for comics industry pioneer M.C. Gaines." While working for the McClure syndicate, Mayer came across Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's unsold Superman comics strip, which he "immediately fell in love with." He recalled in a 1985 book that, "The syndicated press rejected it about fifteen times. I was singing its praises so much that in 1938 Gaines finally took the strip up to Harry Donenfeld, who was looking for original material to run in his new title, Action Comics," where the soon-to-be iconic character debuted as the lead feature of the first issue. Action Comics editor Vin Sullivan is also among those credited with discovering Superman. Mayer said, All-American Comics , H. G. Peter, Sheldon Mayer and Max Gaines in 1942.]] In 1939, "Gaines left McClure to enter into a partnership with Periodical Publications," and Mayer went with him, becoming the first editor of the All-American [Publications] line, then run as a separate entity from National/DC, publishers of Superman and Batman.Wallace "1930s" in Dolan, p. 24: "Jack Liebowitz partnered with publisher M. C. Gaines (who brought with him his sharp young editor, Sheldon Mayer) to launch a new line of comics under the All American Publications banner." Mayer edited and participated in the creation of - among others - the Flash (in Flash Comics), Green Lantern, Hawkman, Wonder Woman and All-Star Comics, home to the Justice Society of America.Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 33: "DC took the 'greatest hits' premise of the comic to its logical conclusion in All Star Comics #3 by teaming the Flash, the Atom, Doctor Fate, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Hourman, Sandman, and the Spectre under the banner of the Justice Society of America for an ongoing series." Comics historian Les Daniels noted that "This was obviously a great notion, since it offered readers a lot of headliners for a dime, and also the fun of watching fan favorites interact." Among his non-superhero work, Mayer assisted with lettering and logo creation on several All-American titles, and drew a number of covers for the "Mutt and Jeff" reprints appearing in the companies flagship title All-American Comics (1939–1958). Having created the semi-autobiographical strip "Scribbly, the trials of a novice cartoonist," for Dell Comics in 1936, (where the character appeared in The Funnies #2-29 and Popular Comics #8-9), Mayer moved Scribbly to All-American Publications in 1939. Soon after, the strip included the supporting character of "Ma" Hunkel, who would go on to become the Golden Age incarnation of the Red Tornado, with Mayer writing, penciling and inking the renamed Scribbly and the Red Tornado for All-American Comics between 1941 and 1944 when All-American merged with National. Mayer launched several funny animal titles including Funny Stuff (Summer 1944),Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 46: "Edited by Sheldon Mayer, the anthology title showcased a number of new animal humor features." Animal Antics (March 1946),Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 50 and Funny Folks (April 1946).Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 51: "Editor Sheldon Mayer launched yet another funny animal title. Like thee newly launched Animal Antics, the features in Funny Folks were originals, not based on characters from animated movie shorts." Editorial retirement Mayer retired from editing in 1948, "to devote himself full-time to cartooning" he began to write and draw a number of humor comics for National, including the features The Three Mouseketeers, Leave It to Binky, a teenage humor book... and Sugar and Spike." Leave It to Binky debuted in February 1948Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 58 while Scribbly received its own title in August 1948.Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 59 Sugar and Spike proved to be one of Mayer's longest-lasting strips, starring two babies who could communicate in baby-talk that adults could not understand. Mayer even signed the stories he drew, something rare at National Periodical Publications in the late 1950s when Sugar and Spike debuted. In the 1970s, when failing eyesight limited his drawing ability, he continued to work for National/DC, contributing scripts to the companies horror and mystery magazines, including most notably House of Mystery, House of Secrets and Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion. With artist Tony DeZuniga, he co-created the "Black Orchid" feature which ran in Adventure Comics #428-430 in 1973.McAvennie, Michael "1970s" in Dolan, p. 156: "Very little was known about the Black Orchid, even after writer Sheldon Mayer and artist Tony DeZuniga presented her so-called 'origin issue' in Adventure Comics." Mayer wrote and drew several "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" treasuries starting in 1972. These were published as Limited Collectors' Edition C-24, C-33, C-42, C-50 [http://www.comics.org/issue/245191/ Limited Collectors' Edition #C-20], #C-24, #C-33, #C-42, and #C-50 at the Grand Comics Database and All-New Collectors' Edition C-53, C-60.[http://www.comics.org/issue/245192/ All-New Collectors' Edition #C-53] and #C-60 at the Grand Comics Database Additionally, one digest format edition was published as The Best of DC #4 (March–April 1980).[http://www.comics.org/issue/34179/ The Best of DC #4] at the Grand Comics Database In 1978, Mayer wrote and drew a "How to Draw Batman Booklet" as part of an on-going debate with DC editor Paul Levitz regarding continuity in comic books. In the 50th anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great, Mayer is cited as still writing and drawing "for the company that first published his great discovery, Superman, forty-seven years ago." After successful cataract surgery, Mayer returned to drawing Sugar and Spike stories for the international marketMarkstein "Sheldon Mayer": "He continued to write and draw Sugar & Spike until 1971, when failing eyesight forced him to abandon cartooning...Mayer's sight was restored a few years later, and he went back to producing new Sugar & Spike stories. But the American comic book market was no longer able to support such a feature, so these were mostly published overseas." and only a few have been reprinted in the United States. The American reprints appeared in the digest sized comics series The Best of DC #29, 41, 47, 58, 65, and 68. In 1992, Sugar and Spike #99 was published as part of the DC Silver Age Classics series;[http://www.comics.org/series/17352/ DC Silver Age Classics Sugar and Spike #99 (1992)] at the Grand Comics Database this featured two previously unpublished stories by Mayer. DC writer and executive Paul Levitz has described Sugar and Spike as being "Mayer's most charming and enduring creation". DC attempted to license Sugar and Spike as a syndicated newspaper strip but was unsuccessful. Sales on the "Sugar and Spike" issues of The Best of DC were strong enough that DC announced plans for a new ongoing series featuring the characters. The project was never launched for unknown reasons.Wells p. 46-47: "In a 'Meanwhile' column in several Aug. 1984-dated titles...DC vice-president-executive director Dick Giordano tentatively announced Sugar and Spike #1 as appearing 'sometime this fall or early winter'...Ultimately, for reasons virtually no one recalls, DC quickly got cold feet on the project even as Marvel's Star Comics rolled out in 1985." Awards Mayer received an Inkpot Award in 1976. He was inducted into the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2000. Bibliography Centaur Publications * Comics Magazine #1 (1936) DC Comics * Adventure Comics #428-430 (Black Orchid); #431 (writer) (1973-1974) * All-American Comics #1-5 (writer/artist) (1939-1944) * All New Collectors' Edition #C-53, C-60 (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer) (writer/artist) (1977-1978) * All Star Comics #3-6, 8 (Justice Society of America) (artist) (1940-1941) * Best of DC #4 (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer); #29, 41, 47 (Sugar and Spike) (writer/artist) (1980-1984) * Big All-American Comic Book #1 (writer/artist) (1944) * Buzzy #32-34, 39 (writer/artist) (1950-1951) * Comic Cavalcade #4, 7, 40-63 (artist) (1943-1954) * DC Silver Age Classics #10 (Sugar and Spike) (writer/artist) (1992) * Dodo and the Frog #80-81, 83-90, 92 (artist) (1954-1957) * Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion #12 (writer) (1973) * Funny Stuff #1, 3, 5, 18, 28, 55, 57-58, 61-62, 64-65, 68, 70, 72, 74-79 (writer/artist) (1944-1954) * Ghosts #111 (writer) (1982) * Hollywood Funny Folks #28-35, 37-40, 43-46, 48-51, 53, 56-57, 60 (artist) (1950-1954) * House of Mystery #207, 211, 217, 219, 224, 243, 258, 283, 317 (writer) (1972-1983) * House of Secrets #101, 103-104, 120 (writer) (1972-1974) * Leading Screen Comics #45-48, 50, 54-57, 60, 62-77 (writer/artist) (1950-1955) * Leave It to Binky #1 (writer/artist) (1948) * Limited Collectors' Edition #C-33, C-42, C-50 (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer) (writer/artist); #C-36 (The Bible) (writer) (1975-1977) * Movietown's Animal Antics #28-33, 35, 37-41, 43-44, 47, 49-51 (artist) (1950-1954) * New Comics #1-4 (writer/artist) (1935-1936) * Nutsy Squirrel #61-62, 65, 67-72 (artist) (1954-1957) * Peter Porkchops #30-38, 40-42, 44, 46-52, 61 (artist) (1954-1959) * Phantom Stranger #31, 35-36 (Black Orchid backup stories) (writer) (1974-1975) * Plop! #1 (writer) (1973) * Raccoon Kids #52-62 (artist) (1954-1956) * Scribbly #1-15 (writer/artist) (1948-1951) * Secret Origins #29 (original Red Tornado) (writer/artist) (1988) * Secrets of Haunted House #43 (artist); #44 (writer) (1981-1982) * Secrets of Sinister House #6-7, 9 (writer) (1972-1973) * Sensation Comics #84 (Wonder Woman) (writer) (1948) * Sugar and Spike #1-98 (writer/artist) (1956-1971) * The Three Mouseketeers #1-8 ((writer/artist); 19, 24 (writer) (1956-1959) * Time Warp #5 (writer) (1980) * The Unexpected #217 (writer/artist); #219 (writer) (1981-1982) * Weird Mystery Tales #5 (writer) (1973) * Weird War Tales #10-11, 14, 18, 21, 42-44 (writer) (1973-1976) References External links * Sheldon Mayer: Writer, Artist, Cartoonist, Editor and More * * Sheldon Mayer at Mike's Amazing World of Comics | Awards = | Notes = | Trivia = | OfficialWebsite = | Links = Fifty Who Made DC Great }}